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Half an article in the Drive section of the Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/new-cars/auto-news/free-ev-chargers-installed-along-the-trans-canada-highway/article5520638/ about the installation of a series of EV recharge facilities across the width of Canada, outside of the urban areas. They're not publicizing the locations of these stations until after they complete their 7200 km trip, just in time for Christmas. As publicity stunts go, this seems like a pretty good one.
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Nov 25, 2012 21:40
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My guess is the majority of the facilities that have signed on for this project are associated with other travel-related businesses. Even at 60 or 90 amps, recharge times are going to be a few hours, right? So it makes sense for a motel to get on board early like this, and put a big "FREE ELECTRIC VEHICLE RECHARGE" sign up, right next to the "Free Continental Breakfast" sign. It occurs to me casinos could also be early adopters for these stations. Somebody could work out how much electricity gets spent on the neon sign vs. how much goes into the cars.
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Nov 26, 2012 00:38
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I know nothing about the Volt, or any other electric or hybrid-electric car. I've never driven one, I've been a passenger in a Prius exactly once (for about 20 minutes), and I've read a few reviews, most of which were positive, especially regarding the Volt. As a car. People seem to like driving the Volt as a car, or as I would probably (snobbishly) call it, a driving appliance. A commuter box with some pleasantries. Comparing only one metric between cars is pointless. A new BMW 3-series costs close to twice what a new Corolla costs, and delivers inferior fuel efficiency in a vehicle that's a little less practical. Are all 3-series purchasers insane, then? The point about people wanting the image associated with driving a vehicle that says "HYBRID" or "ELECTRIC" on it, rather than a strict financial calculation, is dead on. If everybody only bought the car that made the exact most sense, financially, to them at the time of purchase, the world would contain 1 model in each size category, all of which would be painted dull grey.
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Nov 27, 2012 12:18
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My parents' Pontiac Montana does it; they live in Calgary where snow in any month of the year can and has happened (wassup, Seat Safety Switch). I was especially amused to see the warning as we drove across a frozen lake in B.C. a couple of years ago. Gee, possibility of ice, really? Could that have anything to do with the people fishing beside the road? Cold really does terrible things to batteries, I'm impressed there are as many hybrid and electric-car owners in Canada as there are. Do any of the currently-available or planned-for-soon EVs have something like a block heater (but for the battery) as an option? Two cords to plug in?
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Dec 14, 2012 12:51
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Brigdh posted:I'm thinking the bolded part is bullshit. If I were to take a conventional vehicle on a road trip to test its maximum range, I drat well need to consider speed, operating temp, and accessory usage as well. Hell, if I went to a manufacturer saying I was going to do such a test, and how would they recommend I get the longest range, they'd probably give me as a long of a list as what Tesla gave. The only things electric cars are lagging behind on compared to gas powered cars are maximum range to a "tank" and the convenience of filling with gas (takes 10 minutes, available "everywhere"). I'd say it's not bullshit. The difference in maximum range is not a few percent, it's more than double - and it's a difference that crosses a distance threshold for many people - how often do you want to fill up / recharge - every trip? Or once a week? The "average" commuter might put 50 miles (or whatever) behind them in an "average" day, but that mean value has no importance without some estimation of the variation. And that's not considering the frequency of trips of much longer distances - the often-seen response "just rent something for your annual road-trip" is trite and useless* - people drive widely different distances over the course of a single week, and there are so many unplanned (or poorly planned) trips that estimating "typical" distances and basing a decision on range being "good enough" is basically impossible. * Please note I am not calling out anybody for saying something like that. I'm trying to head off that response before it happens, because I think it's annoying. People have gotten used to the kinds of ranges and speeds achievable with internal-combustion technology. Electric cars need to achieve similar abilities to be taken seriously as direct competitors, rather than as filling niches currently poorly-served by gasoline-powered cars, such as urban commuters in dense traffic. A gasoline-powered car that wasn't designed with range or fuel efficiency as priorities - something with a big, gas-guzzling engine and a normal-sized (or small) fuel tank could still easily outrange a Tesla, without needing to adopt super-conserving driving behaviour. Yes, if you went to a manufacturer and said you were going to test the range of one of their cars, they'd ask you to do such things. But if you went to a manufacturer and said you wanted to test-drive the car under something like normal driving conditions (which involves, among other things, setting the interior temperature to a comfortable level, stop-and-go traffic, hills, a range of speeds up to whatever the limit is on the local freeway, etc.), they'd hand you the keys and ask you not to scratch up the paint. If a Tesla car can't acheive even an approximation of usefulness under real-world conditions WITHOUT unrealistic special considerations, it's not a useful car. It can still be exciting, and heralding a new era, and fast around a track, and fun to drive, and a status symbol, but it won't be good.
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Feb 15, 2013 02:58
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Brigdh posted:Did you miss the part where I blatenly said that electric cars need the range of their gasoline counterparts? That seems to be your entire point, so I'm not sure what you are arguing...
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Feb 15, 2013 03:39
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Advent Horizon posted:A Model S has greater range than my Land Cruiser, and does it while driving faster. People now have just gotten used to the idea of only filling up once a week instead of every day like I had to when I used my FJ40 to commute. I'm not trying to argue "Don't buy a Tesla". People have raised some excellent points, and the way the technology is progressing I expect the range issue to become less and less important, pretty quickly. No car can be all things to everyone, but something that could compete head-to-head with a Camry or a Civic (or a F-150 or a Landcruiser, for that matter) but with all the inherent advantages of electricity rather than exploding pentane would be more than a game changer, it would be truly revolutionary. I'm hoping Tesla's pushing with their performance machines, a small but significant market, will help usher in this revolution a bit faster. And more sexily - I don't much like the front end, but those are overall drat fine looking cars. Early all-electrics didn't compete with anything, hoping to open up a new market for tiny urban commuters and short-trip runabouts. Tesla, to their everlasting credit, have identified a market segment they might be able to crack, prestige sports cars. The closest all-ICE competitors I can think of to something like a Model S tend to be driven short distances, with some quickness (where the law or daring allows) and don't worry too much about interior comfort, concerning themselves more with looks and reputation. In my impression, at least. The comparison with smartphones is interesting - another device that relies on battery power. I agree, getting used to plugging it in every evening is pretty easy, and I can see something similar happening with a car. I am still concerned, however, that no amount of diligence regarding daily charging will enable spontaneous 1000-km road trips to areas that are without flush toilets, never mind high-amperage/high-voltage charging stations. The cultural change that replaces the current standard of gas stations (and truck stops) with something that doesn't give you herpes if you sit down will be of at least the magnitude of the change that leads to habitual plugging-in of the family car. To push things in a slightly different direction for a moment: I ran out of fuel a couple of weeks ago on a stretch of highway without cell-phone access (I am a blithering idiot on a semi-regular basis). I was rescued by a friendly couple, who stopped within seconds of me raising the bonnet - still the international signal for "mein auto ist kaputt". They quickly offered to return to the nearest town, back the direction from which we'd all come, buy a jerry can, and fill it for me. This they did, so once again, Thanks Mate! Anyway, would a portable add-on power battery be at all a possibility for people wishing to achieve longer range than will ever likely be possible? I know of roads that currently lack sufficient fuel stations for normal cars without carrying a jerry can - "Next Fuel 750 km" is a sign just northwest of Edmonton.
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Feb 15, 2013 09:27
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Does this mean you are evangelical with your electric vehicles? If you're grabbing people, stuffing them into your car, then launching hard from every red light on a long street, then I am intrigued by your ideas and interested in your newsletter.
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May 13, 2013 20:30
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Thwomp posted:On topic: would Leaf battery longevity be an issue in the snowbelt? I know I'd lose range simply due to the cold winter but would I see a decrease in battery life like you guys are talking about in AZ? Here's the fifth and final (so far?) part: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...article4406559/ Note the title of part 4 (list of previous episodes near the top of the article) is "Spring sees a budding improvement in range" - he talks about the rather severely limited range he was seeing during winter; pay attention to his description of his driving style, typical daily distance travelled, etc. - he's not exactly an average driver. EDIT: it's 2013! No longer 2012! 
ExecuDork fucked around with this message at 22:32 on May 15, 2013 |
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May 15, 2013 22:26
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davebo posted:Down the line I'm just imagining a Mad Max world where people are inventing ways to siphon electricity instead of gas. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2011/09/110913-smart-meters-for-electricity-theft/ I'm laughing at the idea of some 5th-owner of a Leaf or something at some middle-of-nowhere electicity pylon in 20 years holding a crappy little eBay "Universal Adaptor A++ L@@K!!!" and a coil of bare copper wire.
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Jun 5, 2013 19:06
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Every once in a while I like to browse the GCSurplus website, the auctions of stuff by the Government of Canada. Among the ex-police Crown Vics and a small ship there's a Tesla up for grabs. I love the first image in the set. Rather than the usual standard-car-in-government-lot picture, we get:  Minimum bid is $65 000. This is one of the vehicles used by Transport Canada to evaluate the Tesla Roadster. quote:The vehicle was acquired as a test asset in March 2010 by Transport Canada to support the department's safety, environmental and performance testing of new and emerging advanced vehicle technologies. I also like the bit about low temperature testing, down to -20 C. My camera's batteries do very poorly in such temperatures, I'm curious how something like the Tesla's do in a proper Canadian winter.
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Aug 31, 2013 00:56
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And quit blaming your wife for your clumsy driving. Get better, and get a Tesla.
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Sep 13, 2013 01:31
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So, you're using hydropower generated from falling liquid water that until recently was glacier to power your electric car. Somethingsomething irony climate change something? Regardless, that's pretty cool. I'm glad to hear there are other early-adopters of EV in Alaska, as a fellow cold-climate dweller I'm interested in how the batteries and other systems hold up.
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Oct 30, 2013 01:46
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Hey, no worries. I work on greenhouse gases.
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Oct 30, 2013 06:11
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MrYenko posted:Chevy Volt realtalk: I was on break, taking a walk around the parking lot, walked right past my own car, AND DIDNT EVEN NOTICE IT WAS THERE. Time for a paint job, then. Break out the rattle-cans and some tape, and make your car DAZZLING!
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Apr 16, 2014 17:37
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I'd also love to hear some e-racecar stuff. I read something a while ago about a Tesla at an autocross event, course marshals got spooked by the silence.
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Jun 10, 2014 00:50
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Platystemon posted:Counterpoint: the Volkswagen Beetle  http://i.imgur.com/rNGAUqc.jpgYup, certainly doesn't look dorfy. Somebody fucked around with this message at 23:00 on Jun 14, 2014 |
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Jun 14, 2014 05:33
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wilfredmerriweathr posted:The future is loving awesome and I can't wait until these things are affordable, because I have to imagine in a few decades they will be highly competitive with normal cars. Advent Horizon posted:You'll never want to go back to gas From the sounds of things, EVs are apparently already highly competitive with "normal cars".
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Jun 15, 2014 18:06
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Harley-Davidson has thrown their http://project.harley-davidson.com/en_CA Something I hadn't thought about is that because they're so much smaller and lighter than cars, an electric motorcycle with a similar range (H-D says 53 miles for the "Livewire") to a given electric car can recharge to full in less time. Obvious when you think about it, but I wonder if we'll see bikes with ranges above 300 miles and recharge times below one hour before we see cars with those capabilities. Tesla's specialized charging stations notwithstanding.
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Jun 20, 2014 17:08
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Peter Cheney, a journalist for the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail is embarking on a long trip in a Tesla S, from San Diego CA to Whistler BC.Peter Cheney posted:My route is also optimized for the Tesla, with a high concentration of Supercharger stations (a look at the map on Tesla’s website shows a couple of dozen along the road from San Diego to Squamish, B.C., which marks the northern end of the Supercharger route). Link to the soon-I-will-depart article: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/adventure/red-line/can-our-writer-make-it-from-san-diego-to-squamish-in-a-tesla/article20057928/
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Aug 18, 2014 20:45
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InitialDave posted:Seeing as I'm posting in this thread: I've had my Zoe nearly two months now, and I never did get around to making a proper post about it. Is anyone interested? Let me know if you have specific stuff you want me to put up about it.
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Aug 24, 2014 22:55
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I find it mildly troubling that so much of that Bolt announcement was devoted to "millenials like this stuff, right?" distractions rather than talking about the car as a car. A mention of a rumoured range and a price, and then nothing but smartphones and screens bullshit. Why is the marketing concentrating so hard on the drains on electrical power instead of the source of it? Is Chevy involved in Tesla's battery giga-factory (whatever they're calling it)? Has Chevy developed an interesting new power-management system? What kind of performance - beyond just range - can we expect from this little urban runabout?
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Jan 12, 2015 18:23
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Do Norwegian engineers get a truckload of dynamite the day they graduate? Or do you all just HATE mountains? It seems like Norwegians are the most tunnel-happy people in the world. Don't get me wrong: for taking to Mr. Nobel's invention with such enthusiasm, I salute you!
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Jan 28, 2015 17:55
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On the one hand, yes, whatever flagship Tesla is flogging in three years will be better than a 2015 85D. On the other hand, if you buy a 2015 85D today you get to have a 2015 85D, and drive it and enjoy it and all of that for three years. THEN you can look at the newest and greatest, and compare it to both the car you have (2015 85D with a bunch of miles behind it) PLUS the 3 years of joyous ownership you had. I say get the drat car.
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Apr 16, 2015 00:34
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Mining companies have had centuries of practice responding very rapidly to sudden changes in the commodity price of minerals. There's also plenty of scope for productivity improvements in most mines and mine technology is a complex set of many different, overlapping factors that can benefit enormously from breakthroughs in everything from materials science to effective management techniques to transportation efficiencies. Lithium isn't especially rare in the Earth's crust as far as I'm aware, and it's certainly something mining companies are aware of and paying attention to; there are presumably dozens or hundreds of teams of prospectors active today looking for (and finding) exploitable deposits. I'm a little suprised that we haven't already seen widespread adoption of electric vehicles in heavy industrial applications. Range isn't an issue when your vehicle is never going to be more than a few miles from its home charging point, though I suppose some current diesel-powered heavy machinery is run 24/7 (minus maintenance down-time). And the weight of batteries is more than offset, I would think, by the enormous torque and low-speed efficiencies you can get out of a really big electric motor. Plus reduced fire risk and probably other benefits - and costs - I'm not thinking of.
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Apr 21, 2015 02:37
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The Locator posted:ugly as gently caress  BMW, why? The i8 looks so good, most other BMW cars from the last several decades look pretty good (X3 and X5 excepted), so what the gently caress happened with the i3?
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May 15, 2015 05:59
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KozmoNaut posted:Robert Llewellyn... massive boner Required: 
ExecuDork fucked around with this message at 16:15 on Nov 30, 2015 |
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Nov 30, 2015 16:13
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Mange Mite posted:It's pretty much the same as a Prius.
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Dec 2, 2015 15:47
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Make them really, really obviously fake and see how many fewer doorknockers you get.
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Dec 7, 2015 04:53
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The designers have all the flexibility in the world because of fully electric drivetrains, and they *still* come up with an ugly, boring squashed-SUV "crossover". It's just a wagon that refuses to say its name, with oversize wheels for pure fashion reasons. Obviously, my objections are entirely aesthetic and therefore entirely subjective - I have opinions about vehicle design and appearance, that's all. But I find that high beltline particularly lame.
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Dec 9, 2015 15:54
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I'll take safety over appearance every time (because it's function over form, which I agree with), but that doesn't mean I have to like how it looks. Thanks for the explanation, that makes sense. Ola posted:I'll add that it's just a concept car for now, I bet the first EV Audi will look a lot like their current As or Qs.
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Dec 9, 2015 23:23
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Ola posted:Not too big for the city, but 4WD and a bit of ground clearance for winter. This is the exact set of requirements every Canadian seems to think is perfect. For the record, that's also the feature list I want, but I want it in a package that doesn't look like somebody made a brick out of wax then left it in the sun for a bit.
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Dec 10, 2015 22:15
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